Julio De Caro

Julio De Caro's sextet.
De Caro stands centre with his cornet violin.
Pedro Laurenz is on our right.

Tango is also music - Julio De Caro

Julio De Caro and his brother Francisco changed the face of tango music in the late 1920s by expanding the possibilities available to the musicians.
This was a band that emphasised richness and musicianship.
Future orchestra leaders such as Pedro Laurenz, Osvaldo Pugliese and Pedro Maffia passed through his ranks.
All the bands came under his influence.
A decade later, Pugliese in particular would reach the heights he achieved by standing on De Caro's shoulders.

De Caro emphasised the longer phrase of the 4 x 4 at the expense of rhythm,
and much of his music lacks the strong pulse that animates dancers -
even when he lost his way in the 1940s in an attempt to follow the prevailing style.

Nevertheless his work remains interesting and significant.
His final recordings (from 1949-1953) have won a place in the hearts of many dancers,
whilst a tanda of his early music is sometimes to be enjoyed in the wee small hours.

I just want one CD

Tango Collection - Julio De Caro

RGS 1641

Choosing only one album of De Caro means choosing a period, which is not ideal,
but I'd advise you to start with his late 1920s recordings.
Since the deletion of the RCA Victor 100 Años album, which had a nicer cover but fewer tracks,
the CD of choice is clearly the one on Tango Collection.
although the omission of Flores negras is a pity.
Nver mind - we can listen to the 1952 recording instead on the next CD.

I want more

The Masters of Tango - Julio De Caro - Tierra Querida

LCDM 2742310

The next stop is not De Caro's recordings from the 40s, but from the 50s (actually 1949-1953), when his music has a warmer feel.
De Caro was never someone who pushed the lyric, as he preferred the lyricism of the instruments,
but the few vocals numbers are excellent and for this reason we don't choose
the instrumental album on From Argentina to the World.
Mi dolor is outstanding, surely the best recording of this amazing tango.

For a long time this meant choosing the album Tangos de rompe y raja on Reliquias,
but the same material can now be found closer to home on the French label Le chant du monde,
whose CDs are much more attractively packaged.

Canta:

Orlando Verri (12,13)

I want all the good stuff

Bien Jaileife

EMI 541697

Hard to find recordings from 1939-1942 when De Caro was competing with D'Arienzo's dance revolution.
This is an up-tempo De Caro that is often hard to recognise.
Some of the music is amazing but it's hard to escape the feeling that De Caro is losing his way.

In case you're wondering, jaileife is the hispanic version of the English word highlife.